Daggers From Anna Nicole's Half-Sister

(CBS)  Anna Nicole Smith's half-sister lashed out at Howard K. Stern and Smith's mother, Virgie Arthur, on The Early Show Tuesday.

In her first interview since Smith died of what authorities say was an accidental overdose in early February, Donna Hogan seemed to blame Stern, at least in part, for Smith's death. He was Smith's companion at the time.

Hogan also says Smith's mother, Virgie Arthur, shouldn't get custody of Smith's infant daughter, Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern.

Hogan and Smith have the same father, Donald Hogan.

Hogan made her comments in talking with co-anchor Hannah Storm about Hogan's new book, "Train Wreck: The Life and Death of Anna Nicole Smith," which hits bookstores this week.

---

Photos: Day Of Anna Nicole's Funeral

Photos: Anna Nicole: Bahamas Battles

---

In the book, which was penned with the help of writer Henrietta Tiefenthaler, Hogan describes Smith — or Vicki Lynn Hogan, as she was known to her family members — as an in-your-face symbol of the age.

---

Timeline: Anna Nicole Smith

Anna Nicole Smith: A Who's Who

---

The book tracks their dysfunctional, dirt-poor family and Smith's determination to claw her way to the top of the celebrity heap.

Why the title, "Train Wreck?"

"I guess," Hogan told Storm, "because that's what the media kept typecasting her as, you know, and the more I saw her toward the end of her career, that's what she basically looked like. I felt really bad for her."

2Hogan is clearly no fan of Stern.

"I've just have seen some stuff about (him) when my sister was pregnant, and it didn't look like he was too concerned about the baby's health or anything," she told Storm.

Storm quoted from a letter Hogan wrote to Smith that appears I the book: "It is hard to believe he was not responsible for your death. It is obvious to me that not only did he fail to stop you from destroying yourself, he was actually an enabler who led you astray and caused your death."

Hogan expanded on that, telling Storm: "He was the one that was there the whole time. He was the one that let her continue to destroy herself with drugs. You know, I just figured if he loved her so much and everything, he should have tried. I know she's stubborn and stuff and people are going to do what they want to do, but he should have really, really tried to get her some help."

Hogan hadn't seen Smith for the past 10 years.

"I did try to speak out to her after the American Music Awards," Hogan told Storm. "You know, that was like the breaking point, where she was just getting really bad. … To me, it looked like a severe cry for help, you know, and I did my first interview just to tell her, you know, we all make mistakes and everything, and, you know, we're here for her. I was hoping that she would get some help."

But, Hogan asserted, Stern "basically" kept Smith's family away.

"I mean," Hogan said, "he would always just make comments to us that, you know, we weren't wanted and everything in the public. Just — I don't know, it was just she — he always spoke … for her."

Hogan told Storm she hopes Smith's mother loses her battle for custody of Dannielynn, "because, despite how my sister was towards the end, she might not have been completely there and stuff, but she did not want her to have her. … I think you should respect somebody's rights and everything. I mean, no."

3Hogan was kinder in discussing Smith's late, elderly, billionaire husband, J. Howard Marshall, saying, "I think he was her security blanket, basically. You know, I think she felt secure and safe with him and well-taken care of."

As for whether Dannielynn deserves a part of Marshall's fortune, Hogan said, "I think the baby deserves a really great life, but, I mean, I don't think my sister was ever entitled to half of it, but, I mean, I will always make sure that little girl is taken care of."

Hogan also addressed not being able to make peace with Smith before Smith died: "That was the whole main purpose of doing this book. I just wanted her — I wanted to be able to tell her the stuff that I wasn't able to tell her that she stopped me from saying before."

Hogan will continue her discussion with Storm on The Early Show Wednesday.

[closethippy]

"More than 600 pills, including 450 muscle relaxants, were missing from prescriptions that were no more than five weeks old, according to The Associated Press."

All these were prescribed by ONE psychiatrist to Anna Nicole Smith. O-N-E.
OK, now. I don't mean to take Tom Crusie's side here but I'm truly convinced we have reached the darkest bottom of our psychiatry-driven culture and we need to take a step back to see what we are doing to ourselves: We are drugging and intoxicating the very organ we need to function as humans.
This cannot make anyone any wiser than, say, getting wasted on alcohol. You might feel relaxed but how the hell are you going to solve your problems?
What amazes me about all this is how the psychiatric world has been utterly unable to map out a behaviorial system that can help therapists make their patients understand how they've ended feeling the way they are and find a way out of their mental imbalances.
There sorely needs to be an effort in figuring out how the human brain sets its priorities, however f'd up they are, so we can have an idea on how to untangle the mental web it finds itself trapped in.
The inconsistencies found from one therapist to the other in solving mental problems is simply unnaceptable.
We cannot keep on treating ourselves as if we've reached such a dysfunctional state as to require the use of drugs to replace our brains as key to the solutions we seek.
That is simply wrong.

[barbaraf4]

"What?????????????????????????? About the same level of communication skills that you seem to have. Everything is somehow connected to George Bush. For someone that you hate so much you sure do try to bring him into every situation you seem to be commenting on. This is not about politics."
Posted by retmilspouse at 05:13 PM : Apr 10, 2007

Sorry. I meant to say she has the same communication skills as you.

[misspp-2009]

retmilspouse: you need to read and comprehend before you rebut. I won't bother to explain what I meant because you appear to be in attack mode. I will simply leave it at that.

[lizardbate]

I agree 100%, Stern is a "blood sucker". I don't think that there is anyone who doesn't see him for what he is. Stern --- I feel sorry for you!!!!!! Typical *** lawyer!!!!!!!!!

[retmilspouse]

Did ANS' sister write a book? She has the communication skills of George Bush. How can she be expected to put sentences on paper?
Posted by Barbaraf4 at 03:09 PM : Apr 10, 2007

What?????????????????????????? About the same level of communication skills that you seem to have. Everything is somehow connected to George Bush. For someone that you hate so much you sure do try to bring him into every situation you seem to be commenting on. This is not about politics.

[retmilspouse]

How sad it is that no one really cared about her! Everybody is just cashing in! She hadn't seen her sister in 10 years! This reminds me of the Nicole Brown Simpson situation.
Posted by Misspp at 03:14 PM : Apr 10, 2007

This is nothing like Nicole Brown Simpson situation.
1. Nicole Brown Simpson was murdered by her ex husband.
2. Nicole Brown Simpson had a loving intact family. ie, mother, father, sister etc etc etc
3. Nicole Brown Simpson's sister knew of the past spouse abuse that her sister endured.

There is no part of this story that matches what Nicole Brown Simpson went through. She was only famous because she married OJ and then became more infamous due to the nature of her death. I am sure she didn't ask for any of it.

[betterbigger]

You people forget Anna was scum too; she was trying to lie about the paternity and keep the REAL FATHER away from his daughter. She was DENYING her own daughter her right to know her real father.

[sjw1253]

First, as far as anyone making money off of this - get real all of you. I don't know of anyone presented the same opportunity that would not find a way to capitalize on the situation. It is human interest and human nature (especially in today's world).

Second, regarding Anna's relationship with her mother and her wishes...

From what I saw while she was alive - Anna was all over the place. She clearly was having second thoughts about Larry having a part of the baby's life as she was still speaking with him via the telephone up until a few nights before she died (as a recorded telephone call betwee the two discussing the baby was played on E.T. the night before she died).

In her drug induced mind - her decisions to stay away from those such as her mother and not allow them to have contact with her - those... who would discourage her drug use - who could truly want to honor those skewed "wishes"???

To judge her mother and others like her sister who she remained estranged - does not mean that the estrangement was clearly due to their human weaknesses - but Anna's desire to remain free to do what she wanted.

How many families have periods of estrangement and then later find their ways back to each other? Unfortunately for Anna Nicole's family - they will not have that opportunity - that is not to say it would not have happened - had she lived.

[dblbar]

THANK GOD! Burkhead is the father! THANK GOD! Now maybe Virgie will give it up and go home! An attempt to devastate yet another life, would be just like her however.......so sad......

Congratulations Larry - now take your child and get as FAR AWAY from those people as your possibly can!

[justme222-2009]

If you cared about your sister as much as you say you do after you wrote your book, why? didn't you try to put more effort into helping her instead of an ink pen? I wont make you rich that is for sure, I will not buy your book. Who knows what is true in that book after the death of a falling star anyway, especially if it was written from a jelous sister.